ADALM-PLUTO as simple Spectrum Analyzer/w tracking

[albfer]

Hi all,

SATSAGEN v.0.4.0 is ready to download.
http://albfer.com/en/2020/10/11/satsagen-0-4/
Highlights:
- Dual device mode
- Generator with LO frequency output

[ebclr]

Grazie mille

[albfer]

Hi all,

SATSAGEN 0.5.0.2 is available

-Works with:
   - ADALM-PLUTO
   - HackRF One
   - RTL-SDR Dongles
   - Simple Spectrum Analyzer series like NWT4000, D6 JTGP-1033, Simple Spectrum Analyzer, and so on.
- Video trigger, real-time trigger, and fast-cycle feature
- ADALM-PLUTO custom gain table and Extended linearization table for all devices
- Transmit from raw format files
- I/Q balance panel
- Waterfall
- RX/TX converter offset
- Video Filter average option
- Keyboard or mouse wheel moving markers
- Status Display

Waiting for you at https://www.albfer.com/en/2021/01/31/satsagen-0-5/

Let me know

Cheers

Alberto

[RoGeorge]

Wow, so many new features, thank you again!   

Can hardly wait to try this new version on a PlutoSDR as Tx, together with an RTL-SDR for Rx.   

Will let you know if any bugs will appear.  So far just a question.  In the https://www.albfer.com/en/2021/01/31/satsagen-0-5/ it is written

The standard gain table will be reloaded on the Pluto device at the power off of SATSAGEN to ensure the operation of other applications.

Is the gain table stored in a non-volatile place inside the PlutoSDR, or is it stored just in RAM and it will all revert to default if the PlutoSDR is unpowered then powered again?

For example, if by accident I unplug the USB cable from the PlutoSDR while the SATSAGEN is running (so without proper SATSAGEN shutdown to restor the original table), do I need to take any action to restore the default gain table from Analog Devices in order to use the PlutoSDR on another application or on another computer?

[albfer]

Thank you ROGeorge

The gain table is stored in RAM, a simple power cycle resets to the standard gain table.

The reload standard gain feature at the power off of SATSAGEN ensure the correct use of other applications in case of Pluto remains connected to the PC.

Cheers

Alberto

Wow, so many new features, thank you again!   

Can hardly wait to try this new version on a PlutoSDR as Tx, together with an RTL-SDR for Rx.   

Will let you know if any bugs will appear.  So far just a question.  In the https://www.albfer.com/en/2021/01/31/satsagen-0-5/ it is written

The standard gain table will be reloaded on the Pluto device at the power off of SATSAGEN to ensure the operation of other applications.

Is the gain table stored in a non-volatile place inside the PlutoSDR, or is it stored just in RAM and it will all revert to default if the PlutoSDR is unpowered then powered again?

For example, if by accident I unplug the USB cable from the PlutoSDR while the SATSAGEN is running (so without proper SATSAGEN shutdown to restor the original table), do I need to take any action to restore the default gain table from Analog Devices in order to use the PlutoSDR on another application or on another computer?

[albfer]

Hi All!

A new version is available to download...

SATSAGEN v.0.6.0.1

Highlights:

Spectrum Analyzer
-A Harmonic Mode (ADALM-PLUTO device only)
-A Unwanted signal components filter
-I Sweep time speeded up (ADALM-PLUTO device only)
-A Span-RBW coupled/uncoupled selector
-A FFT Rect Windowing selector
-A X-Zoom locked

Spectrum Analyzer w/Tracking
-A Scan progress bar
-A TX OFF button

Generator
-A Frequency and modulation amplitude controls
-A Up to three simultaneous signals for intermodulation measurements
-A Pseudorandom noise generator with notch filters for NPR measurements
-A ASK and FSK modulations

Devices
-A ADALM-PLUTO clones support (for rx/tx linearization only)
-A AD8317 and AD8318 Log Detectors (USB D/A interface v.3.0 required)
-I Simple spectrum analyzer devices protocol improved

Miscellaneous
-A Virtual Analog  Power Meter for Log Detectors devices
-A Multisession support. Launch SATSAGEN with -config n parameter

Regards

Alberto

[RoGeorge]

Wow, so many new features.   

On my Kubuntu 20.04 LTS + wine, the text behave differently.  Numbers are much bigger and come in many sizes, sometimes they auto-change their size while typing/editing a number, and in the end it is displayed either truncated or as 00, like for example the Rx frequency in the attached capture.

Not sure if this is because some settings/updates in WINE, or because this version of SATSAGEM is different.  I can still read the numbers by hovering the cursor and reading it in the tooltips popup, just that that the interface is harder to operate.

I'll let you know any further questions, and thanks!   

[coppercone2]

I tried Pluto and raspi with two power banks and it worked... appealing portable device

[albfer]

Wow! Give me a picture of your setup, please! 

I tried Pluto and raspi with two power banks and it worked... appealing portable device

[RoGeorge]

I'd be curious, too, of how it looks like on RPi.

Meanwhile I've tried SATSAGEN v0.6.0.1 on Windows 10, and it all looks great.
All the controls are working as expected.   

[albfer]

Hi!

Thank you so much for your comment!

It seems to be a font combination issue.

On my Ubuntu 20.0.4 works fine.

Regards

Alberto

Wow, so many new features.   

On my Kubuntu 20.04 LTS + wine, the text behave differently.  Numbers are much bigger and come in many sizes, sometimes they auto-change their size while typing/editing a number, and in the end it is displayed either truncated or as 00, like for example the Rx frequency in the attached capture.

Not sure if this is because some settings/updates in WINE, or because this version of SATSAGEM is different.  I can still read the numbers by hovering the cursor and reading it in the tooltips popup, just that that the interface is harder to operate.

I'll let you know any further questions, and thanks!   

[RoGeorge]

Found it!   
It was the setting in the "winecfg" window.

The "Screen resolution" inside the tab "Graphics" slider must be set to 96 dpi (the default in Windows).  Mine was set to 168, in order to display larger text in other programs running under WINE on a 4k monitor, like LTSpice or QucsStudio.  Once the dpi is set to 96, it all looks just like it would run on Windows.

[RoGeorge]

It happened that this weekend I've installed FreeBSD on ZFS with KDE Plasma.
Tested SATSAGEN out of curiosity, and it worked just fine on FreeBSD, too!   

Just like in Linux, use WINE to install and run SATSAGEN on FreeBSD.  No drivers needed.  In my setup I had to manually bring up the LAN over USB network adapter with a fixed IPv4 address (that's how ADALM-PLUTO will be seen).

[coppercone2]

well I broke the system down and all the parts went to other locations (cars), and the rpi is hooked up to something doing something right now so it will have to wait a while

The problem mine had was the "offset" in the middle of a spectrum created by what the program authors described as 'i/q imbalance offset'. The features that are added to the receiver programs (gnu radio, etc) designed to compensate for this offset did reduce it a little bit, but there was always a glaring line stuck in the middle of the spectrum, which irritated me. I tried to study this on forums for a little while but it seems that people have decided that its not really fixable. Other then it being slow to boot, it seemed OK, but I did not use it much. I thought about CM filters on the Pbanks and stuff but it seems that no matter what I do the project result will feel janky.

I thought to turn it into a laptop in a old box but its alot of work. It pisses me off too because the offset line is smack dab in the middle, even on a normal spectrum analyzer the useless left hand low frequency 'slope' is.. on the left hand. Whenever I looked at the SDR on my TV I wanted to get a rag and try to wipe off the line in the middle. As I understand it, its not a spectrum analyzer, and the real world uses don't care about it, but I wanted a 'fast signal scanner' to use in combination with other equipment, and quite frankly the IQ line ruined it visually. I just wanted it so I can see the spectrum in real time on the TV when I play with my tecsun radio... so the pi was just supposed to be a log/note book where I can write things and a spectrum viewer so I know how to setup the tecsun (just to look at the air band, since I was only able to get very spare audio from planes, I was trying to increase my probability of intercept, so I can squeeze something out of that little portable receiver on VHF in the living room)

https://www.reddit.com/r/RTLSDR/comments/93rewt/bought_a_plutosdr_and_i_have_a_static_line_in_the/

its like if you took a sharpie and drew a fake sine wave on your oscilloscope thats always there!

[albfer]

The local oscillator feedthrough can be filtered, enabling LO Flt or E Flt controls using the SATSAGEN application.
Cheers
Alberto

well I broke the system down and all the parts went to other locations (cars), and the rpi is hooked up to something doing something right now so it will have to wait a while

The problem mine had was the "offset" in the middle of a spectrum created by what the program authors described as 'i/q imbalance offset'. The features that are added to the receiver programs (gnu radio, etc) designed to compensate for this offset did reduce it a little bit, but there was always a glaring line stuck in the middle of the spectrum, which irritated me. I tried to study this on forums for a little while but it seems that people have decided that its not really fixable. Other then it being slow to boot, it seemed OK, but I did not use it much. I thought about CM filters on the Pbanks and stuff but it seems that no matter what I do the project result will feel janky.

I thought to turn it into a laptop in a old box but its alot of work. It pisses me off too because the offset line is smack dab in the middle, even on a normal spectrum analyzer the useless left hand low frequency 'slope' is.. on the left hand. Whenever I looked at the SDR on my TV I wanted to get a rag and try to wipe off the line in the middle. As I understand it, its not a spectrum analyzer, and the real world uses don't care about it, but I wanted a 'fast signal scanner' to use in combination with other equipment, and quite frankly the IQ line ruined it visually. I just wanted it so I can see the spectrum in real time on the TV when I play with my tecsun radio... so the pi was just supposed to be a log/note book where I can write things and a spectrum viewer so I know how to setup the tecsun (just to look at the air band, since I was only able to get very spare audio from planes, I was trying to increase my probability of intercept, so I can squeeze something out of that little portable receiver on VHF in the living room)

https://www.reddit.com/r/RTLSDR/comments/93rewt/bought_a_plutosdr_and_i_have_a_static_line_in_the/

its like if you took a sharpie and drew a fake sine wave on your oscilloscope thats always there!

[coppercone2]

hmm, maybe that prgoram will do it. Nothing I got to work on the raspi managed the line. The spectrum you have is very clear.

I will try it some time to see if it ressurects the project

[albfer]

Hi all,

VNA with a Pluto revision C and SATSAGEN v.07.1.4, read more at https://www.albfer.com/en/2022/05/29/satsagen-v-0-7-1-4/#content

Cheers

Alberto

[ozkarah]

Great work man. Congrats. 

Do you have any results on the flatness of the ADALM PLUTO tracking generator? Especially in 50-500 MHz frequencies..

[rfclown]

I can't believe that I just ran across this program. Amazing work Alberto. I just downloaded v0.7.2.0. I was starting to work on a spectrum analyzer thing in LabVIEW this week. I hadn't figured how I was going to deal with the filters; equalize, or just use a portion of the spectrum that was fairly flat. Now I don't have to do anything. I've been using the Pluto for a while now as a signal generator, but hadn't done anything useful with the receiver.

I set the frequency of the Spectrum Analyzer and Generator to an arbitrary 1GHz, and varied the span 1,2,3..12MHz. Interesting that some spans don't kill the carrier (1,11 and 12 MHz for instance) while others do what I expected from the Pluto Rx and nulled the signal like it was a DC offset. Maybe on some spans the center isn't really the programmed value?

The Fast-Cycle and MaxHold enable me to do what I was needing at the moment to help debug a Bluetooth issue. I was borrowing a RSA506B last week to do some field work. Now I can do what I need for that task with a Pluto+SATSAGEN. I had brought a Pluto along for a signal source and a nanoVNA to check cables and antennas. I can probably do it all in the future with this and a directional coupler.